News

Symposium Examines the Future of Landscape Architecture in Urban Environments

2002-04-02

PHILADELPHIA -- As the world's urban centers are expected to support a growing and changing population, questions arise on the role landscape architects will have in shaping these urban environments. The future of landscape architecture will be discussed in relation this phenomenon at the World Urbanization + Landscape Architecture symposium April 4-6, at the University of Pennsylvania.

The symposium is sponsored by the Landscape Architecture Foundation (www.lafoundation.org) and the American Society of Landscape Architecture (www.asla.org). It is the first of six symposia that comprise the Landscape Futures Initiative designed to redefine and redirect the profession and discipline of landscape architecture. Click here to see a PDF version of the poster announcing the symposium.

"Landscape architects have the power to shape cities by organizing and contouring its open spaces," said Nancy Somerville, ASLA Executive Vice President. "With growing ambitions and expansive redesigns of urban areas, the future can be unclear for urban landscapes. Landscape architects strive to be community builders, and we must examine the issues and events that impact our communities."

Trends that impact their work will be up for discussion by leaders in the fields of landscape architecture, urban design, planning, and architecture. Invited speakers include landscape architects Ignacio Bunster-Ossa, ASLA, and Anuradha Mathur, architect Winy Maas, and urban designer Peter Rowe, dean of the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University. Topics will include the politics of ecology, urban territoritalization; and the mega-landscape of mega-cities.

The symposium will also chart the characteristics of modern urbanization around the world and suggest future directions for landscape architects. Speakers have been invited to present "snapshot" analyses of urban areas around the world, including Bangalore, India; Caracas, Venezuela; Beijing; Santiago, Chile; London; Rotterdam Port, Netherlands; and Houston, Tex. A panel discussion of the characteristics of these areas will then be lead by Peter Hall, professor of planning at University College London. The symposium will also include an exhibit of aerial photographs by Alex MacLean called "Urbanscapes."

Urbanization + Landscape Architecture: A Symposium on Contemporary Urbanization and Future Practices of Landscape Architecture, will be held April 4-6, at the Graduate School of Fine Arts, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pa. For more information, or to register for the symposium, contact Jen Kollar atjkollar@pobox.upenn.edu, 215-898-6591.